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Cardinal Heating & Air
Appliance (Major Electric Appliance) - Install or Replace, Fridge, Freezer or Ice Maker Repair or Service, Electrical for Home Addition or Remodel - Install,
About us
Your Plumbing, Electrical, and Air Conditioning fixed right at the speed of light. Is your home at a standstill because of a plumbing, HVAC, or electrical issue? Reach out to Universal Home Experts today and receive fast, on-time expert repairs from their team of trusted technicians. Since 1992, we have helped homeowners throughout the Houston metro area. No matter how big or small Universal Home Experts can get it done right We provide you upfront price before any repair and all work is backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Business highlights
Emergency services offered
33 years of experience
Services we offer
Plumbing system troubleshooting, air quality solutions, airflow analysis, breaker box upgrades; Air conditioning system check, evaluation and repairs; water heater inspection and replacement; Electrical, filtration with bacteria prevention, system repairs and replacement, troubleshooting & repairs
Amenities
Emergency Services
Yes
Free Estimates
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Reviews
4.6639 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 79% | ||
| 10% | ||
| 6% | ||
| 1% | ||
| 3% |
Showing 526-550 of 639 reviews
Carol M.
Jun 2011
I was extremely pleased with his work. He did not take a break the whole time he was working – the job took about 6 hours
Keith S.
Jun 2011
I've told my full story above. It's pretty short and sweet (uh', better make that short and bitter.)
Response from Cardinal Heating & Air
"Please don't follow this members advice. Follow this members actions. When you have an electrical emergency, there may be an unsafe condition. Which, when you speak of electrical systems, could be a fire or shock hazard. Even if your did it yourself! This member called us on a Friday at 1:30 pm. we were at his home at 2:30 pm that same afternoon and spent almost 3 hours with this member, not 1 hour,even though we don't charge by the hour. We gave this member an up front price that he approved before we started. What did he do at that time? He approved the work, because he valued us and our ability to get to his home quickly on the same day and take care of his electrical problem before it became dangerous. Where were all the other electricians? Simple, they don't care enough to invest in the overhead to be available when you need us. RIGHT NOW. I would rather invest in the overhead to create great service and take care of our customers quickly before the situation is dangerous, than cut corners, provide inferior service and not be available when you need us. So please read on. the only complaint you will see is that when we took care of the customer quickly we were too much, but when the customer knew to hire us to create a permanent repair, we get straight A's and Page of Happiness nominations. Which by the way we have over a dozen Page of happiness nominations and one actual page of Happiness as well as over 90 A's out of 110 reviews."
Ryan T.
Jun 2011
Due to power outages across the city, the electrician called and rescheduled our original appointment so there was no inconvenience.
They arrived on time and were friendly, including to our dogs!
They performed an electrical assessment on the house and gave one recommendation. They said their pricing is based on the job (based on national standards), not per hour and i felt it was very reasonable. They did both jobs in a timely fashion. We will use them again for any electrical needs.
They arrived on time and were friendly, including to our dogs!
They performed an electrical assessment on the house and gave one recommendation. They said their pricing is based on the job (based on national standards), not per hour and i felt it was very reasonable. They did both jobs in a timely fashion. We will use them again for any electrical needs.
Luciana M.
Jun 2011
They changed an additional service charge. They turned out to be twice as much for the same service that I received from another company. I told my new service provider how much I paid, and he said I over paid. They technician was fairly pushy.
Response from Cardinal Heating & Air
"We worked for this member on New Years Eve 2010.She called when the power to her bedrooms was out. I read the invoice, we actually replaced 3 Arc Fault Circuit Interupter Breakers not 2 fuses. AFCI breakers have been updated about 7 times for problems since they were installed in her home. We also waived our normal $59 dispatch fee and charged her a total of $495. I am not sure what the technician was pushy about, because we did not recommend any additional work, since her house was built in 2005. Ye,s you can hire someone cheaper. And of course, that is all they are worth. All of our electricians are licensed home electrical experts, drug tested , background checked, and available at short notice when you need us most, RIGHT NOW. I would rather spend more on overhead to create a great service experience than cut corners and provide inferior service. This member also has a 3 year warranty on her breakers as well as a satisfaction gurantee, while most electricians' warranties are either 30 days or after their cell phone is turned off because they can't pay the bill. An electricans license does not require any knowledge of business, or much math for that matter. I recommend getting 3 bids and then throw away the cheapest. Do you want to help someone "practise" on your home while they figure out howe to be a contractor?"
Barbara Y.
Jun 2011
Overall, the experience was very good. They took care of that very well, they were excellent in every respect. The technicians were courteous and easy to work with. They were recommended by Angie's List and others. I would use them again.
Benjamin T.
Jun 2011
The technicians quickly and professionally installed the surge protector along with a 2 pole 15 amp breaker required for the installation.
George M.
Jun 2011
Folks it doesn't get any better than this! Richard performed the estimate and supervised the onsite crew, and Nick at the office handled all the administrative matters.
I called all over town trying to get a few data jacks installed, and even though you see these services advertised on the side of the road (and on Angie's List) - go ahead - call them. They'll tell you the job is too small, or they don't do residential, or you get some guys voice mail and maybe you'll get a call back, then they'll tell you the job is too small.
Not so at Universal Wiring. I made the call, said I wanted a few data jacks installed, and Richard (called first) showed up the next day and performed the site survey. While here Richard saw all my computer equipment (most people have zillion dollar 60" plasma and LCD TV's - but I just have computer gear) and asked what sort of surge protection I used besides the obvious plug-in-the-wall power strips.
I proudly stated my was built with a whole house surge protector which had already saved me once and was replaced by another electrician who was here installing a ceiling fan a few years ago with the most expensive unit I could buy at Home Depot. Richard inspected the unit and politely explained while the unit was a good one and still working, with the amount of computer gear I had in the house I might consider stepping up to a light grade, lower end commercial unit.
As everyone knows, losing a computer is nothing - it's expected. What's horrible is rebuilding the unit with the data etc. because it takes so much time. This decision was a no-brainer for me so I asked Richard to put the new surge protector in the quote.
The quote was emailed the next day as promised, approved by me, and an appointment was scheduled to perform the work. The day of the appointment Universal Wiring called to let me know they were on the way (who wants someone to just knock unannounced?), and even though the 3 techs went in and out the front door 30+ times that day, they put on booties each time before entering my house. (They should ask to get paid by the bootie install/uninstall.) Richard was onsite to supervise the work which was performed exactly as stated, and the amount charged was exactly what was on the quote. As they finished working at each location in the house the techs cleaned up and the house was spotless when they left.
It's been 3 or 4 weeks now and everything is perfect. No glitches. No call-backs. In this day and age it's hard to get quality service from a nice, polite, company that stands behind their work with a guarantee. Universal Wiring will be doing all my electrical work in the future.
Oh - did I mention Universal Wiring was happy to show up to quote a measly $350 worth of work and I was so impressed (and smart enough to know quality) that I spent $3500 to get the all the work I really wanted done since I knew it would be done right?
Everyone else blew me off over the phone - ahhhhh, bad mistake vendors, take a lesson from these guys on customer service.
I called all over town trying to get a few data jacks installed, and even though you see these services advertised on the side of the road (and on Angie's List) - go ahead - call them. They'll tell you the job is too small, or they don't do residential, or you get some guys voice mail and maybe you'll get a call back, then they'll tell you the job is too small.
Not so at Universal Wiring. I made the call, said I wanted a few data jacks installed, and Richard (called first) showed up the next day and performed the site survey. While here Richard saw all my computer equipment (most people have zillion dollar 60" plasma and LCD TV's - but I just have computer gear) and asked what sort of surge protection I used besides the obvious plug-in-the-wall power strips.
I proudly stated my was built with a whole house surge protector which had already saved me once and was replaced by another electrician who was here installing a ceiling fan a few years ago with the most expensive unit I could buy at Home Depot. Richard inspected the unit and politely explained while the unit was a good one and still working, with the amount of computer gear I had in the house I might consider stepping up to a light grade, lower end commercial unit.
As everyone knows, losing a computer is nothing - it's expected. What's horrible is rebuilding the unit with the data etc. because it takes so much time. This decision was a no-brainer for me so I asked Richard to put the new surge protector in the quote.
The quote was emailed the next day as promised, approved by me, and an appointment was scheduled to perform the work. The day of the appointment Universal Wiring called to let me know they were on the way (who wants someone to just knock unannounced?), and even though the 3 techs went in and out the front door 30+ times that day, they put on booties each time before entering my house. (They should ask to get paid by the bootie install/uninstall.) Richard was onsite to supervise the work which was performed exactly as stated, and the amount charged was exactly what was on the quote. As they finished working at each location in the house the techs cleaned up and the house was spotless when they left.
It's been 3 or 4 weeks now and everything is perfect. No glitches. No call-backs. In this day and age it's hard to get quality service from a nice, polite, company that stands behind their work with a guarantee. Universal Wiring will be doing all my electrical work in the future.
Oh - did I mention Universal Wiring was happy to show up to quote a measly $350 worth of work and I was so impressed (and smart enough to know quality) that I spent $3500 to get the all the work I really wanted done since I knew it would be done right?
Everyone else blew me off over the phone - ahhhhh, bad mistake vendors, take a lesson from these guys on customer service.
CINDY S.
May 2011
It went very well (as always). I've used this company many times and Yovani has always done a great job. Jessee accompanied him this time and also did an excellent job. They worked quickly and quietly; I hardly even knew they were here. They cleaned up afterward and vacuumed everywhere they had worked...my house was cleaner after they left than it had been before they arrived. I've never had a problem of any kind with this company but the office always calls me afterward to see how things went. I appreciate that. And, yes, this company's fees are higher than others but they have a rate list and you know, right off the bat, what the charges will be. Yovani has also caught errors in work done by other electricians...not nit-picking errors but serious oversights...so I think the fees are very good for the knowledge and quality of work.
Scott L.
May 2011
Universal electric provided excellent service. First, they managed to track me down even though I had forgotten to update my cell phone number in Angie's List. I appreciate the fact that they took the effort to locate me and contact me to schedule service. The scheduling process was easy and they had people available to come do the work within 24 hours. I was given an installation window of 8-10am, although I was told they had a meeting at 8am and would likely be there between 9-10am. They contacted me around 8:45 to tell me it would be closer to 9:30, and contacted me around 9:20 to tell me it would be closer to 10am. They did arrive around 10am. I appreciate the frequent updates on their arrival and they did arrive at the end of the quoted window. Just a minor quirk. They were sensitive to the fact that I needed to get back to work and performed the job quickly and efficiently. The service providers were very clean, professional, nicely dressed, wore shoe covers inside the house, and were very easy to work with and knowledgeable. They even went out to get a drop cloth to make sure no insulation from the attic fell on my carpet when they inspected the attic wiring. They were absolutely the cleanest electrical service I have used in the area. I did have to purchase an additional circuit breaker to have the surge suppressor installed. Their service manager warned me about this on the telephone when scheduling the service. I wish it had been bundled into the initial price but apparently it was something that not every installation required, so I can understand that. They took the time to give me quotes for additional work, and to explain how the surge suppressor works and that it would not protect certain older 2-wire circuits in my home. A very professional group that I would definitely use again.
SHELLEY R.
Apr 2011
I actually called Universal almost one year ago. I got laid off and decided to start my own business, running it from home. Some of my new computer equipment (an uninterruptible power supply and battery backup system) needed to plug into a 220v outlet, and I planned to set it up in the living room corner. The nearest 220v outlet was in the kitchen. Universal sent Will over, and he gave my condo a thorough inspection inside, outside, and in the attic. I paid about $450 for that inspection. He gave me an estimate for the work I wanted done (see "services performed" section), and said that Universal would deduct my inspection fee from it when I scheduled the work. I thought the quote was rather high, but a friend who remodels homes says it wasn't unusual. I did not seek estimates from anyone else. Well, as a new biz owner on a shoestring, I had to postpone the electrical work to conserve cash. So for a year I've had a thick, ugly blue extension cord running from the living room into the kitchen! When I finally had the funds, Will came back over and updated the original estimate to include a couple of things I hadn't asked for last year. He and Ryan and Jesse were here at 9am three days later, and they had all the work completed by 5pm. They were thorough, very conscious of keeping things neat, and just plain NICE. Even my schnauzer loved them, and he normally barks at strangers incessantly. Will reviewed all the work with me in detail when they were done. I was impressed.
Debora B.
Apr 2011
I bought a coupon and had an inspection, I had a very good experience as the representative explained with detail what was going on in my home , vis a vis electrical issues. I was impressed by the knowledge and professionalism, and patience as the thorough explanation was going on. I learned a lot. Impeccable social skills were a bonus. I purchase a home protection discount as well. The job was done on time . I will definitely call them again if I need to.
Ryan S.
Apr 2011
I saw a discount for the home surge protect, so that is how I got involved with Universal Wiring. But I was aware of some bad wiring in my house (breakers tripping, etc) and an outlet that just did not work. Larry with Universal showed up on time, reviewed my situation and provided written options and prices to fix it (I love options!). I chose from my options and the work was completed quickly and professionally, at a lower than initially estimated price :) I have already recommended this company to a friend and will use them again if necessary.
Michael L.
Apr 2011
Universal came out and that cost me about $50-60 just for a trip fee. Then to troubleshoot the various issues I had they charged me a flat $400 fee. They had big sheet with all the services they do and a cost per service. It was like a menu and very organized, so you could be sure you weren't getting ripped off (or at the least you knew how much it would cost). Unfortunately the trip fee could not be rolled into this cost. In the end he fixed nearly everything that was wrong. There were two ceiling lights that he said was the wiring between the switch and the ceiling so I would have to rip out everything to replace the wiring. He was very professional and patiently explained issues to me. It was costly for a little more than an hours worth of work but I guess that's what electricians get paid. I would use them again though.
Update from A to C rating: Turns out one of my 3-way light switches don't work consistently anymore. It was in my backyard so I didn't use it often and didn't notice right away. Sometimes switching it on in my bedroom works and sometimes it doesn't and I have to run to the breakfast area to switch it there first and then back to the bedroom. It wasn't like this previously. I went to their website to get a new appointment 2 different times towards the end of the 90-day warranty period. They never responded. I forgot to follow-up until after the 90-day period.
Update from A to C rating: Turns out one of my 3-way light switches don't work consistently anymore. It was in my backyard so I didn't use it often and didn't notice right away. Sometimes switching it on in my bedroom works and sometimes it doesn't and I have to run to the breakfast area to switch it there first and then back to the bedroom. It wasn't like this previously. I went to their website to get a new appointment 2 different times towards the end of the 90-day warranty period. They never responded. I forgot to follow-up until after the 90-day period.
Tina H.
Apr 2011
Definitely professional and stood behind there work went the door bell stopped working 2 weeks after they originally fixed it and fixed it again fro not charge. HOWEVER, their prices are outlandish!!! They charged me $700 to install 2 jacks. Seriously! They gave me a bunch of excuses about how I lived in an old house and they had to ground the wires leading to the jacks which was more work, etc. I had another licensed electrician come to my house and install another jack for $150. He laughed when I told him how much Universal charged me and told me that they ripped me off. I even asked the other electrician about the process he used to ensure that that the wires were grounded, and he assured me that there is only one way to installed a jack that is up-to-code and grounded and it doesn't cost $350 per jack to do that. I won't use Universal again, and I tell everyone never to call them because their rates are practically theft.
Response from Cardinal Heating & Air
"Our goal is to make everyone delighted with our super service and feel safe in their home because of our expertise. We want all of our customers to love us and we want to be their electrician for life. I urge anyone to continue to look at some of the 110 reviews our customers have posted, 90 of which are "A"'s and the dozen Page of Happiness Nominations; with one Page of Happiness listing. Our prices are not intended to take advantage of anyone. They are calulated to allow us to handle the extra overhead it takes to provide superior service. I would rather spend a little extra to insure our service is spectacular than to cut corners and provide an inferior service. Most other companies, let alone electrcians do not understand this. So you may be able to find a "cheaper" price, but what is not there? Is it a license or insurance or background and drug testing for their technicians who are going to your home? Workers compensation insurance is very expensive: as much as 10% of any job. If another electrican is working at your home and they get hurt, are you protected from liablity? If the service company working at your home is not covered then you, as the homeowner, are liable. This year alone, 255 electricans have applied with us; I have hired 2. Where are those other 253 electricians working? I have been in business for 20 years. Customers call us regularly to inspect; and usually repair the work the "electrician" who was priced less than us. I find that the reason the other electrician was priced less was simpy due to the fact that they priced less actual work. Because most consumers are not aware of the 1000 page electric code book, it is easy for an electrician to take advantage of a homeowner by not doing enough work. In older homes, there may not be an easy way to do things, but we would rather educate the homeowner about their entire system than do inferior work and make an easy sale."
Johnny R.
Mar 2011
It was fantastic! He was very clean and did excellent work. He even ordered us a new surge protector for our TV.
Anna F.
Mar 2011
They were very responsive and communicative during the work, but needed to come out a week later to fix some of the wiring that had been missed during their work.
Carole W.
Feb 2011
I signed up for the Angie's List Big Deal for a Whole House Electrical Safety Inspection, & I'm really glad I did! The house was built in 1977, & other than some work done in the early '90's everything electrical up to this point was the same as it was when the house was bought. Larry from Universal Wiring performed a very thorough inspection on 1/25/11 & found the electrical service, main disconnect, & sub-panel were all wired incorrectly posing a serious hazard, & he found an open splice in the attic. Also, there were no GFCI outlets in the bathrooms, kitchen, & garage. There were several other repairs/installations that I agreed to have done as well. Larry took pictures during his safety inspection, & these pictures helped us to better understand what he was referring to as he explained what he'd found. I accepted his estimate & work began on 1/27/11. I was happy to learn that the technician who performs the inspection also does the repairs because I felt very comfortable with Larry. I was impressed with his knowledge, his work ethic, & his positive attitude. He & his assistant Ryan arrived that day around 9 a.m. & immediately began working. It took another day & a half for all work to be completed. The second day when our electricity was off for approximately 8 hours, Larry & another assistant Mike worked straight through to after 5 p.m. & didn't even take a lunch break so we'd be sure to have electricity later that day. I have complete confidence in the work that was performed, & I highly recommend Universal Wiring.
Mark M.
Feb 2011
Will was very polite, professional and friendly and spent time with me so I understood the problems and consequences. He had a great customer service focus. But because of the condition of the panel, he would not consider a repair. He did offer next-day service for a full panel replacement, but the cost was prohibitive to me. As was over $300 just for advice. I found another electrician who offered a quick, low-cost, short term repair for less than half the cost of Universal's service call. His bid was significantly lower than Universal's for the panel replacement. While I am certain Universal does great work, it comes with the prices set by larger companies. For those on a budget, I'd recommend considering other smaller companies who also offer great service and individual attention.
Response from Cardinal Heating & Air
"Our goal is to take care of the electrical system for all of our customers. Sometimes, in older homes, there is no easy fix. We would rather educate the homeowner about their entire system than get an easy sale be recomending a "simple" repair that could lead to a dangerous situation."
Juliette E.
Jan 2011
After receiving the coupon code from Angie's List, I called to schedule the inspection and talked to a very nice individual named Nick. He was able to send an electrician the very next day and I was able to choose the time "window" that was most convenient. Eric, the electrician, called to let me know he was on the way and arrived promptly. Could not have asked for a nicer, more professional person than Eric. He did a complete inspection, gave us a report which he discussed with us, and fixed a loose outlet he found during the inspection. We had questions regarding security lighting which we hope to do in the future and he was very helpful in answering our questions, suggesting options and leaving us with a cost estimate.
David J.
Jan 2011
I called another company that couldn't come out the same day. I called Universal at about 11:30 AM and explained to them I needed an electrician to take a look at an issue identified on an inspection report that was part of a real estate transaction. They told me they could send someone the same day and they'd be there between 2-4PM. At about 1:45 I got a call from their technician, Eric, who said he was on his way. He arrived promptly at 2. He was friendly and courteous. He explained to me exactly what the issue was with the breaker box, how it could be fixed and exactly what it would cost to do so. I approved the repair and he fixed the issue, it was relatively minor. Eric seemed very knowledgable and was very friendly, I'd definitely use Universal Electric again.
Donald R.
Jan 2011
Provided detailed estimate both of cost and the time required to install 220v services in the kithen of our office. All aspects of the service was finished in complete compliance with the original estimate. Very professionnal courteous service.
ANNA G.
Jan 2011
We are very pleased with them. The work they did was extensive. He rewired the outlets and put a new electrical box. He had to redo a lot of things. We would not want to mess with electrical stuff and I would definitely trust them to do that.
George H.
Jan 2011
I found Unversal Electric on your web site. I contacted them and after one miss (my fault call), they showed up and gave me an estimate. I thought the estimate was high but I have never had this done before so I was not sure. They billed me 800+ for about 2 hours work and 2-3 new outlets. Since I was very afraid of having one of the electrical shorts causing a fire. I had them come out. They were rated very high BUT for 2 hours work this is really hight. On an hourly basis it is more than I make and I do make a good living.
Amandine C.
Jan 2011
We had Universal Wiring out to give us an estimate and were immediately impressed with the quality of their service. All costs were clearly stated upfront via a standardized leaflet so no guess work or approximations were involved in the estimate. Universal Wiring completed this large job promptly (3 days), cleanly and courteously. Richard was always on time, looked after our house while we were away (he did not let anyone in whom we had not warned him would come), and walked us through their progress each evening either in person or via a detailed note. At the end of the job, we had a complete and thorough walk-through during which he thoroughly explained our new electrical system and answered any remaining questions or concerns we had. We can't speak to the price: we immediately went with them based on both their BBB rating and their Angie's list rating so we did not shop around. That being said, we highly recommend them for their professionalism, skill and respect for the customer.
Kim P.
Jan 2011
I have an old house and quite a few things needed to be updated. Had a new main breaker panel installed,GFI plugs in bathrooms and kitchen, reworked a couple of plugs inside one in which was a causing an open gound in another area.
Licensing
State Contractor License Requirements
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FAQ
Cardinal Heating & Air is currently rated 4.6 overall out of 5.
Cardinal Heating & Air accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
Yes, Cardinal Heating & Air offers free project estimates.
No, Cardinal Heating & Air does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, Cardinal Heating & Air does not offer a senior discount.
Yes, Cardinal Heating & Air offers emergency services.
No, Cardinal Heating & Air does not offer warranties.